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Beyond CCW: 4 Must-Have Items

So you’ve decided to carry a gun on a regular basis. Good. Deciding to care of your personal safety yourself is one of the most important decisions you can make, because you are, and always will be, your own first responder. Carrying a pistol with you, concealed or not, allows for options in defense of your life that you just cannot have without having a firearm on you.

But a gun is not enough. In fact, a pistol is just the end of the journey, because chances are you’re not going to need it, thank God.

So what should you have with you besides your gun?

1.) A Flashlight

We spend half our lives in the dark — a flashlight isn’t just a good idea, it’s an absolute necessity. In the past, I relied on the flashlight app on my iPhone, but after some testing, I found the flashlight app just isn’t anywhere near as powerful as even the smallest dedicated flashlight.

It’s rugged. Mine has survived two trips through the washing machine and the dryer (don’t ask why) with no issues whatsoever

It takes one AAA battery, which means you can find spare batteries for it everywhere.

2.) A Knife

Quick! Open up that clamshell plastic packaging without a sharp object … I dare you! Oh, what’s that you say? You can’t quite lever out the jammed paper in the photocopier? And now you’ve ripped the “easy open tab” off your microwavable entree, and you’re faced with the prospect of an unintentional day-long fast or some a jaunt outside of the office for lukewarm, lackluster fast food. Knives make too much sense not to have one on you. Besides, they’re a pretty decent self-defense tool as well.

3.) Extra Ammo

Make a quick list of everything that can go wrong with a modern semi-automatic pistol. No, go ahead. I’ll wait.

Done? Good. Now, how many of the items on your list are related to the pistol’s magazine? And you don’t carry a spare magazine on you because….?

I use a Blackhawk! Single Mag Pouch when I carry my CZ P07, and it works like a charm. I’m not planning on shooting 32 rounds of 9mm in a defensive situation. But I figure if something goes wrong with my gun and I have to reload, I can.

4.) A Smartphone

We can have the “I just want my phone to be a phone and make phone calls” discussion some other time. The fact is a smartphone allows you to have a Red Cross First Aid Guide and an Emergency Radio Scanner and a GPS and a weather alert radio and a whole bunch of other useful information at your fingertips. Plus, we now know that when an emergency happens and the cell phone towers are overloaded with traffic, text messages can go out when phone calls can’t. A smartphone also has a camera to document what happened for the police and/or insurance companies, and you can always play Angry Birds on it while you wait for the other first responders to respond.

What other items should a well-prepared person have on them besides their gun?

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Guest author Kevin Creighton is the voice behind Misfires and Light Strikes: An Arizona Gun Blog. He describes himself as fitting in with Gun Culture 2.0 and continues to expand his firearm knowledge on and off the range. You can follow him at @ExurbanKevin.

2 Comments on “Beyond CCW: 4 Must-Have Items”

“No gentleman should ever leave the house without a knife and a way to make fire.”

Personally, I always carry a small silver zippo. I’ve started a few bonfires, ignited various quantities of explosives, melted rope ends, burned loose threads off my dress clothes, lit a few ladies’ cigarettes, and even the unity candle at my buddy’s wedding. Comes in handy.